Many types of motor vehicles, e.g, passenger autos, includes controls which are fixed with respect to the vehicle structure. As to automobiles, the tilting steering wheel is an exception and, of course, the position of the driver's seat is adjustable in virtually any type of auto.
However, there are other types of motor vehicles (which may be referred to as "working" vehicles), in which the operator is frequently called upon to operate any of a number of control functions as well as to steer the vehicle and control its speed. Unlike an auto, the primary purpose of such a vehicle is to perform work rather than merely transport the operator from place to place. Examples of such working vehicles include industrial and construction equipment and agricultural tractors. A leading manufacturer of such vehicles is Case Corporation, Racine, Wis.
Because the operator of a working vehicle is required to manipulate control mechanisms (often over long periods of time) as well as drive the vehicle, it is important that the mechanisms be positioned for comfortable operation. Such a vehicle may be operated by any one of several persons, perhaps persons having widely disparate statures.
To provide optimum operating conditions for such persons, vehicle engineers have provided control consoles or mechanisms, the positions of which are adjustable in one way or another. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,478,308 (Klaassen) discloses a column for supporting a control lever used to operate a vehicle. By pulling upwardly on a T-shaped handle, a pin is moved to release the column for pivoting movement about a horizontal axis. By pulling horizontally on a locking pin, the column is released for vertical positioning movement. Other position-adjustable control consoles are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,499,963 (Liston); U.S. Pat. No. 4,580,647 (Peifer et al.); U.S. Pat. No. 4,702,520 (Whisler et al.); U.S. Pat. No. 4,646,869 (Kerner, Jr.); U.S. Pat. No. 5,409,079 (Strong, et al.) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,409,080 (Templeton et al.).
While these prior art consoles have been generally suited for their intended purpose, they are not without disadvantages. For example, in the console disclosed in the Klaassen patent, the operator must separately manipulate a handle and locking pin in order to change the horizontal and vertical positions, respectively, of the operator's control lever. And horizontal and vertical position adjustment is available in a series of discrete increments, not in a continuum.
Similarly, the armrest of the Whisler et al. patent requires manipulation of two separate devices to achieve all of the available position adjustment. And such position adjustment is, like those of the Klaassen console, available in discrete increments.
In the console disclosed in the Peifer et al. patent, the operator is unable to independently change the height or fore-and-aft position of such console. In other words, console position change involves changing both the console height and its fore-and-aft position.
The Templeton et al. patent discloses a pivoting operator's seat and a control console that can move along an arc-like path. While such patent states that console movement will "mimic" rotational movement of the operator's seat, there is nevertheless some change in relative position of seat and console. Thus, the control levers may not be in the same angular position relative to the seat for each seat/console position. It is believed that most operators would prefer a seat and console that pivot in unison.
And not all of the apparent disadvantages of the prior art relate to position adjustment. Serviceability is another consideration. As an example, there seems to be no convenient way to gain access to the underside of the control console disclosed in the Kerner, Jr. patent without at least partially dismantling such console.
An improved position-adjustable control console which addresses such disadvantages would be an important advance in the art.